Before Sunset and Before Sunrise
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Free Music Notes for Before Sunset and Before Sunrise
Free Music Review: Uneven, but very good nonetheless
Hit: 4 Stars
First off, Amazon is wrong. Nina Simone is not on this puppy (unfortunately, as it is key to the second film; you'll need to see it understand). All the music is interesting, though going back and forth with classical and pop is a bit unnerving at times. Julie Delpy's songs, however, are really very good. If you like the films, as I do, and enjoy how the music functions in them, I would recommend this CD; if not, I don't suppose you would get anything out of this, but then that's too bad for you.Free Music Review: Great Soundtrack!
Hit: 4 Stars
Julie Delpy's mesmerizing lyrics dig deep into your soul, and the other musicians - Kath Bloom, for example - come together to make this a wonderful collection. The only reason I didn't give this CD 5 stars is because there are a few baroque klavier pieces which seem disruptive. However, I have a feeling that, after time, they'll also make sense. Go out and buy it! (watch the movie first!)Free Music Review: Not as good as the Movies
Hit: 3 Stars
If you loved the the concoction of music that made their indelible marks in "Before Sunrise" and "Before Sunset", the soundtrack will come as a major let-down to you. While selective tracks were memorable and brought back fond memories of the movies' moving montages, the soundtrack which lasted a mere 34 minutes and 36 seconds was way too brief to afford the listener a chance to fully appreciate and relish the music that made these superbly-directed movies truly unforgettable.
The best tracks - "Purcell's Dido & Aeneas Overture*" (Track 5), "Bach's Andante from Sonata for Viola da Gamba in G Major" (Track 4) and "Bach's Goldberg Variations in G Major*" (Track 8) - played during the beginning and finishing sequences of "Before Sunrise" simply wasn't aired long enough, leaving one insatiated and yearning for more. The next best tracks are the ones featuring silky-voiced Julie Delpy as the solo songstress - "Je t'aime tant" (Track 1); "An Ocean Apart" (Track 6) and "A Waltz For a Night" (Track 3) - while not perfectly sung, these numbers were performed with great urgency and relevance, but sadly too few and far between.
All said, these six tracks are the sole redeeming grace of the soundtrack as it showcased Linklater's and his editors' ingenious edge in handpicking magical pieces not only in their own right (especially those chosen for "Before Sunrise") but music that worked cohesively in transcending the two movies from extraordinary to sublime. But the fact of the matter is: one inevitably feels the pinch of being ripped of and remorseful that the producers had to spoil what could have been a most tantalizing experience in owning the perfect soundtrack to the much loved movies. If only they had extended the repertoire by including Nina Simone's closing number; songs from Delpy's album (2003) or her unreleased works (either those accompanied by her guitar-playing or au naturel a cappellas would be fine); not least extended versions of the classical recordings to fill this skimpily tossed up soundtrack hastily rendered to milk the success of the movies. This would have made the soundtrack truly 5-star worthy.
*If you've enjoyed Purcell's Dido & Aeneas, one of the best renditions of the opera was performed by Christopher Hogwood's Chorus and Orchestra of The Academy of Ancient Music (Decca, 1994). For Bach's Goldberg Variations, check out Pierre Hantai's spectacular performance on the Harpsichord (Mirare, 2003).
Free Music Review: Allright compliation that captures some essence of the movie..
Hit: 3 Stars
I'm pretty sure everyone thinking about buying this is probably a fan of these cute little movies. The movies work because they are intellgent with great characaters but also because they evoke that feeling that is pretty hard to describe but easy to recognize. This soundtrack is able to capture that "essence" to some degree and it is worth owning if you are a big fan of the movies but other wise you will probaby want to steer clear.
Julie Delphy sings three songs on the album and they are all good. Like the other reviewer said "Waltz For A Night" is OK but not as good as in the movie and after watching it again I decided the actors reactions to the song are what made it great. Living Life is really catchy and maybe the best song on the disc...I'm surprised it didn't get any radio play. The classical music is pretty good as well but sometimes feels out of place mixed in with the contemporary songs. The biggest flaw of the album is how uneven it is. Honestly the last three songs are pretty much garbage. I don't even recognize them from the movie and never listen to them.
Just for the record, I classified this CD as "coffe house" under the genre section of my ipod.
Bottom Line: If you liked the movies you might really enjoy the first half of this CD. Otherwise you can probably pass on this.
Free Music Review: If you want some of the tracks it's okay, but not great
Hit: 3 Stars
This album actually is music from both "Before Sunrise" and "Before Sunset," both of which are incredible movies. Much of the music is very enjoyable, however the album really doesn't flow well with the baroque pieces from the first movie interspersed with the other songs. Apparently these aren't even the same versions of the baroque pieces. I enjoyed Julie Delpy's songs because of their relationship to the movie (though I liked the acoustic "A Waltz for a Night" version from the movie better than this studio version). The last two grunge angst songs I don't recognize at all from either movie, why are they here? And unfortunately the Nina Simone song, "Just In Time," that ended "Before Sunset" isn't on here. If you really want it, it can be found on her album "At the Village Gate" or "Tomato Collection."
So, taken as individual tracks there are good songs on this soundtrack, but the album as a whole isn't spectacular.